The Pioneer Woman's Christmas Fudge Recipe Uses Only 2 Ingredients

A holiday season without a good fudge is like a Hallmark special without a happy ending: just not happening. And this year The Pioneer Woman has given us an early holiday gift in the form of a two-ingredient fail-proof fudge recipe. Think of it as your drawing board. Master this recipe, and you'll be creating salted caramel fudges white chocolate cookie dough fudges, Almond Joy fudges, maple walnut fudges, eggnog fudges, and white chocolate cranberry pecan fudges in no time. This, friends, is the tutorial that will put you well on your way to becoming Queen or King of holiday fudge-making.

Here's what you need: three cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips (can we suggest Ghirardelli Bittersweet? Epicurious swears by their "complex fruity undertones" and "rich nuanced
flavor profiles) and one 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk. To borrow The Pioneer Woman's words: "I'm gonna need you to go ahead and have a can of sweetened condensed milk in your pantry at all times, okay?"

Really, with two ingredients, how complicated can it get? We'd tell you how to prepare your baking pan (with foil), but you're no amateurs. Beyond the pan, all you'll need to do is to toss your chocolate chips and your condensed milk over a double boiler and let the two melt together. It should take you less than 10 minutes. Stir, pour into your pan, smooth your soon-to-be fudge's surface, and top with any topping you want to. The Pioneer Woman suggests crushed peppermint, but here's your time to shine. Why not go out on a limb and toss it with peanut butter, marshmallows, M&M's, or Reese's pieces?  

Refrigerate your creation for a couple of hours, before cutting. Again, The Pioneer Woman will tell you to cut your fudge into small squares, but it's the holiday season. Why not live a little, and cut your fudge into stars or octagons? Then again, Life Hacker suggests that you avoid cutting fudge at all if you're planning on shipping it. We can't think of a better holiday gift than one giant, supersized block of chocolatey goodness.